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Juan Valverde was promoted to Director of Loss Prevention Mexico. Juan has demonstrated a unique understanding of the Latin
America culture which he brings from Wal-Mart and AutoZone in Operations, Human
Resources and Loss Prevention roles. Juan has been instrumental in the
development of the Loss Prevention program in Mexico since joining RAC in April
2012. Congratulations Juan!

Fla.
man charged with Publix $50M bomb extortion plot
A man already jailed in Miami on charges of using a fake bomb in a bank robbery
attempt has been accused of using bomb threats in an attempt to extort as much
as $50 million from the Publix supermarket chain, according to federal court
documents unsealed Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Walleisa said in
the documents that Brian Henderson, 49, claimed in emails to Publix officials
last year that he would plant bombs at its supermarkets and detonate them unless
his demands were met. Henderson is also being charged in New Jersey with
threatening to poison products made by a business there unless he was paid off.
The documents show one small explosive device was detonated outside a Publix in
Dania Beach but it did no damage - in fact, it wasn't discovered until months
later - and another device may have been placed at Publix Super Markets
headquarters in Lakeland that did not explode. In one of the emails attributed
to Henderson, he tells Publix officials that "you dodged a bullet down in
Broward the other day," referring to the county that includes Dania Beach. "I
don't know if my triggering mechanism failed or someone found it before the
timer went off but it doesn't matter. I'll be sure to do a better job next
time," the email says. Henderson has pleaded not guilty in the bank robbery
case, in which he's accused of trying to rob a Dania Beach Chase Bank branch in
December with what he claimed was a bomb strapped to his body. He was eventually
shot and wounded by police, who determined the bomb was fake.
(Source
news4jax.com)

Merchant
and Financial Services Cybersecurity Partnership Announces Structure, Shows
Momentum and Progress Towards Goals Today, the Merchant and Financial
Services Cybersecurity Partnership announced the operating structure for the
group and released a video featuring Sandy Kennedy, President of the Retail
Industry Leaders Association (RILA), and Governor Tim Pawlenty, President and
CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable (FSR), discussing the priorities for
the partnership and the progress the group has made. Kennedy and Pawlenty,
Co-Chairs of the Partnership, recently formed and led the first meeting of the
Partnership’s Advisory Council. During the meeting, the group agreed on the
fundamentals of the Partnership, including the mission, goals and the structure
for how the Partnership will operate going forward. (Source
rila.org)

A single POS platform handling all customer transactions - online & store -
coming soon 70% of retailers are deploying or planning an update of
their POS software over the next three years — twice as many are considering
e-commerce (38 percent) than those considering traditional POS (18 percent) for
next-generation store software. With the influx of traditional e-commerce and
mobile investments that have occurred over the past 10-15 years, we’re seeing a
mashing up, if you will, of all of this technology. We don’t know what it will
be called yet ... but there will be a single consumer interaction and
transaction platform, and the study suggests that e-commerce is best suited to
play that role.” Developed following a survey of more than 200 retail business
and technology leaders in the United States and Europe — nearly 40 percent of
retailers are considering a single consumer platform to manage interactions and
transactions across channels. In addition, 30 percent of retail executives are
considering cloud and 19 percent are considering on-premise options for their
POS software applications. Editors note: Talk about game changing. This pushes
the need for LP executives to have a thorough knowledge of all transactions and
customer payment processes in order to audit, identify, and successfully
investigate every transaction. (Source
stores.org)

U.S. Retail Sales Rise a Bit More Than Expected
The Commerce Department said on Thursday retail sales increased 0.3 percent last
month as receipts rose in most categories. That followed a revised 0.6 percent
drop in January and ended two straight months of declines. U.S. retail sales
rose slightly more than expected in February, pointing to some strength in the
economy after harsh weather abruptly slowed activity in recent months.
(Source
nytimes.com)

Missed Alarms and 40 Million Stolen Credit Card Numbers: How Target Blew It
Six months before the data breach the company began installing a $1.6 million
malware detection tool made by the computer security firm FireEye (FEYE), whose
customers also include the CIA and the Pentagon. Target had a team of security
specialists in Bangalore to monitor its computers around the clock. If Bangalore
noticed anything suspicious, Target’s security operations center in Minneapolis
would be notified. On Saturday, Nov. 30, the hackers had set their traps and had
just one thing to do before starting the attack: plan the data’s escape route.
As they uploaded exfiltration malware to move stolen credit card numbers—first
to staging points spread around the U.S. to cover their tracks, then into their
computers in Russia—FireEye spotted them. Bangalore got an alert and flagged the
security team in Minneapolis. And then ... Nothing happened. For some reason,
Minneapolis didn’t react to the sirens. Bloomberg Businessweek spoke to more
than 10 former Target employees familiar with the company’s data security
operation, as well as eight people with specific knowledge of the hack and its
aftermath, including former employees, security researchers, and law enforcement
officials. The story they tell is of an alert system, installed to protect the
bond between retailer and customer, that worked beautifully. But then, Target
stood by as 40 million credit card numbers—and 70 million addresses, phone
numbers, and other pieces of personal information—gushed out of its mainframes.
In testimony before Congress, Target has said that it was only after the U.S.
Department of Justice notified the retailer about the breach in mid-December
that company investigators went back to figure out what happened. What it hasn’t
publicly revealed: Poring over computer logs, Target found FireEye’s alerts from
Nov. 30 and more from Dec. 2, when hackers installed yet another version of the
malware. Not only should those alarms have been impossible to miss, they went
off early enough that the hackers hadn’t begun transmitting the stolen card data
out of Target’s network. Had the company’s security team responded when it was
supposed to, the theft that has since engulfed Target, touched as many as one in
three American consumers, and led to an international manhunt for the hackers
never would have happened at all. (Source
businessweek.com)

Rent A Center builds Mexico LP team with new
Director of Loss Prevention and Regional LPM With 160 stores
now in Mexico and opening their first back in October of 2010 they've really
developed the market. With plans on opening 31 to 35 stores to include 12 stores
in Mexico City this year. They've also opened three distribution centers and a
corporate headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico. Jim Carr, their Director of
International Loss Prevention has led the growth effort.

Aaron's rental chain banned from using software to spy via rental computers
On Tuesday, the FTC approved the final order settling charges that Aaron's, a
rent-to-own chain, played an integral role in its franchisees' installation and
use of technology that “secretly monitored consumers, including taking webcam
pictures of them in their homes,” an FTC release said. Under the terms of the
agreement, the chain is banned from using the software to collect consumers'
information via rental computers. It is also prohibited from “receiving, storing
or communicating such information,” except upon a consumer's request for
technical support. (Source
scmagazine.com)

OSHA urged to withdraw Electronic Reporting Proposed Rule - How will it impact
workplace safety? ASSE wants to know “In our comments submitted for
the record, ASSE urged OSHA to withdraw its proposed rule, Improve Tracking of
Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, until the agency develops clearer objectives
and a stronger rationale for requiring establishments with 250 or more employees
to electronically submit each quarter injury and illness records and each year
summary data. Establishments with 20 or more employees would submit
electronically the annual summary form and certain employers would submit
electronically other information on notification from OSHA. "ASSE believes
publishing the information collected will make more difficult the efforts of
safety professionals to focus companies on preventing hazards instead of
reporting injuries.” (Source
asse.org)

Williams-Sonoma Q4 up 10.4% with net revenue up 10%
Stein Mart Q4 up 3.1% (without 14th week) with net sales down 2.1%
Delhaize Group U.S. Q4 up 2% with revenue up 1.9%
Krispy Kreme Q4 up 1.6% with revenues up 3.3%
Dollar General Q4 up 1.3% with sales up 6.8%Genesco Q4 up 1% with net sales down 0.5%
Kirkland's Q4 flat with net sales down 4.2%
Christopher & Banks Q4 down 1.4% with net sales down 10%

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A
man was arrested Thursday after police say he was dealing in stolen property.
During a search warrant of Steven Hankins' business, Hankins Computers, evidence
and marijuana were found and the State Attorney's Office issued a warrant for
his arrest, according to a release from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. In
September 2013, detectives began working with eBay and Amazon, to find
electronics stolen from construction company Anderson Columbia over a five-year
span in Lake City. From 2008-2013, an employee allegedly used corporate money to
buy over 300 personal electronics including new and used laptops, computers,
monitors, iPads and iPods then resold them to local residents and to buyers on
eBay.

Joe Malone, co-owner of Security Resources,
tells us how his company has grown from a small business in Philadelphia to a
national security firm specializing in security guard and investigative
solutions throughout North America. Licensed and registered in all 50 states,
Security Resources utilizes a partner network of over 700 security companies to
address the ever-changing needs of retailers. In this interview, Joe talks about
their industry-leading process.

Solution Providers, have a video or
commercial you want to publish?
Contact us.

NoMoreRack.com - Probing 2nd possible card breach since last August
For the second time since Aug. 2013, online retailer NoMoreRack.com has hired a
computer forensics team after being notified by Discover about a potential
breach of customer card data, KrebsOnSecurity has learned. Over the past several
weeks, a number of banks have shared information with this reporter indicating
that they are seeing fraud on cards that were all recently used by
nomorerack.com customers. Turns out, nomorerack.com has heard this as well, and
for the second time in the last seven months has called in outside investigators
to check for signs of a digital break-in. Then, just last month, NoMoreRack
heard once again from Discover, which said that between Nov. 1, 2013 and Jan.
15, 2014, the company had determined there were more incidents of fraud tied to
cards that were all used at the company’s online store. (Source
krebsonsecurity.com)

Overstock CEO: We're Doing $20k - $30k In Bitcoin Transactions Per Day
Last week, Overstock announced that it has so far seen over $1 million in
Bitcoin purchases through its site. The company began accepting the digital
currency on January 9 through a partnership with Coinbase, the popular Bitcoin
exchange. "There was a huge surge [in Bitcoin spending] the first day, with
people showing support. It's since dropped to $20k to $30k per day, but it's
gradually increasing from there. It's going well," said Overstock CEO Patrick
Byrne. Bitcoin purchases offer Overstock a number of advantages over credit card
purchases. There are no credit card fees, chargebacks, or fraud risks to speak
of.
Byrne seemed especially impressed with how Bitcoin can thwart fraud. Using a
credit card, a person can "order a television online, wait for it to arrive,
then call Visa and tell them there's a dispute with the charge and not to pay
it," said Byrne. (Source
businessinsider.com)

Is this an all too familiar conclusion when the Loss Prevention Manager finishes
their auditing process and debriefs with store management? Store Manager “so how
did we do?” LP Manager, “you passed, you scored an 83%. You missed questions 9,
11 and 23 in Section I and 37, 43 and 55 in Section II. Correct those and I’ll
back in 8 weeks to follow up.”

Hold on there! What just happened?

The Store Manager thinks; Hmmm 83% I passed that will keep LP out of my hair for
a couple months. I’ll give these audit misses to my Assistant Manager to correct
and I’m back to what my priorities are.

Loss Prevention Manager thinks; Hmmm 83% not great but better than others.
Probably good enough to make my shrink goal if they maintain and at least I
won’t have to come back here for a while.

Hold on again. What just didn’t happen?

What didn’t happen was just about everything that under-trained or more likely
misguided Loss Prevention Managers make in their store auditing effort. It all
starts with misunderstanding the goal of auditing store performance. Actually
and more appropriately it’s about misunderstanding what to measure in an
audit...and that more closely is store Operating Competency. With performance
being a symptom of either solid or weak Competency.

Here is the argument against checklist style, robotic auditing.

- It prompts a LPM to check the same store
functions time and again. Well ok but if the store’s performance
metrics, which should be carefully reviewed prior to conducting the
audit indicate “solid” performance, ie..solid competency, then
shouldn’t more of the available time be spent on the deficient
areas?

- What responsibility does the store have to
prepare for an audit assuming the announced variety? Did the store
management team prior to the LPM setting foot in the store review
their self-audits, did they review their performance metrics related
to expected operational performance? Here again is a measure of
store operational competency...are they readily aware of their
metrics and can they identify their deficiencies?

- Before a single store function is reviewed is
there a sit down review of store metrics lead by the management
team? A mature, competent management team should be able to identify
their own issues and present them to the LPM with ideas and action
steps for solutions. The LPM is there for support and guidance, not
to point and say “fix it”

- When a store management team is challenged to
understand the “root cause” of a deficiently performing metric then
the LPM should lead that exercise. Working down to 5 “whys” if
needed to get to the real cause of why an operating function
continually fails.

- This is also the time to bring in assistant
managers or department level supervisors who own elements of store
operating performance metrics. This is the time to probe these
associates knowledge of YTD performance metrics that have origins in
the area they provide supervision for. Can Receiving Managers speak
to Inbound and Outbound Compliance, can Front End Managers speak to
their YTD performance on cash handling and refund %. Are this
associates mature in their position knowledge and do they
demonstrate ownership of their respective areas?

Did I mention that this all should be happening before a single store
operational function gets audited...good!

Remember the manager who was happy to get his 83% and call it a day? I’m sure
that the score is irrelevant to him/her, what is relevant is that it’s enough to
keep them off some naughty list, or getting DM heartburn and keep my LPM out of
here for a while.

Now that every key performance metric has been reviewed and those
under-performing metrics have gone through a root cause analysis with action
steps, time-frames and ownership set should the audit walk begin. This is often
referred to as the “trust but verify” part of the audit.
Managers are quick to say “oh yea, were good with that”. If the previous metric
review supports that great, move on, if not dig in.
After the LPM finishes the store walk and makes “trust but verify” observations
then phase III begins. This should entail a brief review of phase I (metric
review) and phase II (walk observations) then with the management team present
ask” give me the three most critical performance areas your team should focus on
improving”.

A mature, high competency team will likely get 2 or all 3 critical focus areas
without much LPM intervention. In the beginning the LPM may provide more
guidance in this phase and then slowly be able to back off direct suggestions.
What we are looking for here is that while we want the store management Team to
correct those less critical issues that may have been found on the store walk
can they Win Big in the key areas that drive profitability. That could take the
form of improved in-stock and receiving accuracy execution to help sales, shrink
reduction from solid merchandise protection compliance and improved risk
management performance from safety awareness and execution.

When all three phases are introduced during an audit the whole array of what
makes a store operational competent comes into play. The conversation often and
appropriately leads to talent and that discussion should be on the table. Does a
manager, audit after audit, point to an under-performer who is “killing his
operation” yet the associate’s direct supervisor or the manager themselves never
use any of the multitude of available metrics to performance manage that
associate up or out?

Going back to that 83%....is that good or fair? How much does it matter what
they scored last time if it was an 86% or a 79%? I would suggest to frustrated
LPMs not seeing improvement; if you keep doing what you’re doing you’ll keep
getting what you’re getting”.

Time for LP Managers to think about their approach and how to effect positive
change. In fact this is a perfect way to effect change by incorporating many
Leadership tactics; providing education, assessing talent, challenging store
teams on root cause analysis, identifying priority and critical focuses.

So to go back to the underlying point; LP Managers should think of auditing in
terms of opportunities to measure store operating capability and competency and
not leap straight to performance which will fix itself once the former is
addressed. Diagnose and correct the root cause and don’t get bogged down with
the symptoms of poor performance. Ditch the robotic checklist in favor of
fostering competent, capable store teams.

Columbia Mall shooter had fascination with Columbine
The Columbia mall shooter had a fascination with the Columbine tragedy, had
known mental health issues and had been researching and planning a mass killing
in the year leading up to a shooting that took three lives, including his own,
on Jan. 25, Howard County police said during a news conference Wednesday. "Our
investigation has clearly shown that there is no connection between the shooter
and the two young lives he cut short," McMahon said. Police said the teen
downloaded a game based on the Columbine shooting and also researched gun laws
and mental health issues, as well as suicide chat lines. Officials said they're
not sure if he took advantage of any of those services, but they believe he did
know something was wrong with him. (Source
wbaltv.com)

Denver
woman swipes a wallet at Trader Joes, in one hour spent $25,000 on the stolen
AMEX card Police are looking for a woman suspected of stealing a
victim's wallet at Trader Joe's and then going on an expensive shopping spree
with stolen credit cards. The victim told police her wallet was stolen from her
purse, which was sitting in a shopping cart, at Trader Joe's, 790 Colorado
Blvd., according to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. Within a few hours $25,000 was
charged to the victim's American Express credit card. The thief, or thieves,
went on a high-end shopping spree at the Cherry Creek Mall. A suspect was caught
on a surveillance camera at Hyde Park Jewelers. (Source
denverpost.com)

Houston-area
Girl Scouts help bust shoplifting suspects Some Houston-area Girl
Scouts selling cookies at a grocery store have been credited with helping nab a
shoplifting suspect caught with $2,000 worth of unpaid goods. KPRC-TV reports
the girls and their mothers last Sunday noticed a man wheeling a cart out of an
H-E-B in Katy but no items were bagged. Girl Scout Hailey Matthews says the man
appeared to be stealing a lot of stuff. The girls and their mothers watched the
man push the cart — with wine, groceries and small appliances — to a vehicle,
then reported him to an H-E-B employee, who called police. (Source
click2houston.com)

Atlanta Metro Police investigating 3 recent Jewelry store
Robberies Atlanta police say they are working with two other local law
enforcement agencies to track down the people involved in a string of armed
robberies of Kay Jewelers stores. Since June of 2013, armed robberies have been
reported at Kay Jewelers in Atlanta, Cobb County and Gwinnett County.
Investigators say they believe those three robberies are related. Police have
released security camera video that they say shows the robbers.
(Source
myfoxatlanta.com)

Ex-Jewelry Store Employee Charged In $30,000 Theft in Waco, TX
Damion D. Jones, a former employee at Jewelry Repair and Design, in the Richland
Mall, in Waco, was charged with theft more than $20,000 but less than $100,000.
An arrest affidavit says police believe an employee at the store took $29,859
worth of merchandise in thefts dating back to Dec. 20, 2013, officers traced
missing jewelry to area pawnshops. (Source
kwtx.com)

Police
Arrest Suspect in New Canaan, CT Rolex Robbery Police have arrested a
suspect in a robbery at Henry C. Reid & Son Jewelers in New Canaan in November.
Three Rolex watches, worth a total of $55,000, were stolen from the jewelry
store in New Canaan around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Authorities identified
Ronald A. McIntyre, 37, as a suspect through blood left at the scene, police
said. Four men tried to enter the jewelry store on that November afternoon, but
an alert employee quickly locked the door. Unable to get inside the store, one
of the robbers shattered a front display window with something like a sledge
hammer, reached through the broken glass and took the watches.
(Source
ncadvertiser.com)

Frankenmuth, MI Police Department investigating armed robbery
The Frankenmuth Police Department is investigating an armed robbery at the Funky
Skunk store. The incident was reported at 8:52 a.m. Tuesday, March 12, by
employees at the store. Two gunmen entered through the front door and are
described as wearing ski masks and carrying handguns, police said. The store
sells a variety of Irish-themed merchandise. An undetermined amount of cash was
taken, and no one was physically harmed. (Source
mlive.com)

Two Burglars arrested at Big Lots in Woodbridge, VA driving a U-haul and
attempting to break into a Storage Container The incident started on
Feb. 27 around 5:06 a.m. at the Big Lots store. An employee noticed a series of
loud noises coming from behind the store. When Police arrived at the scene, they
found two suspects and a U-Haul truck behind the store next to the shipping
containers. Both the suspects then tried to run away, police said. Deron Winston
McDonald, 52 was arrested in connection, police said. He was also wanted for a
similar incident which happened on Feb. 9 at an outdoor furniture business.
Investigation revealed that the two suspects were trying to enter into the
shipping containers by cutting the lock. (Source
wusa9.com)

Seller of $1100 of Stolen Goods on Facebook Sentenced to 5 years in prison in
WyomingA Cody man has been sentenced in the case of selling stolen
retail goods on a social media group page. August of last year, Cody Police were
contacted by the administrator of Cody Area Classifieds, a group page on Facebook that allows people to buy and sell goods. The administrator told police
that her suspicion was peaked by a couple selling multiple items that were new
and still in their original packaging. Court documents allege that the couple
had sold a stainless steel grill, a roaster, a couple of camping tents, and a
soda streamer. In an interview with officers, the wife of 27 year old Cory
Armstrong admitted that the couple had been going to Walmart, stealing new items
that they later sold on Cody Area Classifieds. The amount of stolen goods sold
was $1,100. Armstrong was tried for one count of theft and one count of
conspiring to commit a crime. He was sentenced to five years in prison and $170
in fines. Armstrong was also sentenced for a separate, unrelated larceny charge,
receiving another five years. The sentences will run concurrent with each other.
(Source
mybighornbasin.com)

Every year, Security Dealer & Integrator Magazine honors the 50 fastest-growing
security dealers and integrators in North America. This year,
Cam
Connections Inc. made the Top 10 in
SD&I's third-annual Fast50 - tying for 8th place on the prestigious industry
list.

“We’ve invested a lot of time and energy into process improvement since 2011 —
we analyzed our pain points, and then focused on minimizing or eliminating those
shortcomings,” says Chris Lesnewski, CEO of Cam Connections. “Some key improvements as a result are
much better hiring practices, improved communication, highly specialized
roles/training, and employee retention and satisfaction. Education and retail
have been the growth markets for us. There is still much fear over random acts
of violence and concern for public safety, and understandably so.”

With nearly 60 employees, Cam Connections provides custom-tailored security and
loss prevention programs for hundreds of America's leading businesses and
government agencies. Their experienced staff - comprised of some of the
country's best trained security, loss prevention and technology specialists -
forms the foundation of CCI's elite security team: professionals whose focus is
on complete client satisfaction.

The top 10 Fast50 companies run the gamut from large to small businesses in
terms of employees; however all of them balanced gross revenues and overall
percentage growth over a three-year period to end up on top of the rankings.

“Our members have seen a number of growth opportunities, and the
forward-thinking companies are the ones who thrive,” says John Knox, president
of the Electronic Security Association (ESA). “Regardless of size, the most
successful companies will be able to provide quality products and great customer
support at a competitive price. And never forget that good, old-fashioned hard
work makes the difference, regardless of whether it’s a one-man company or a
company of thousands.”

About Cam Connections
Since 1998, Cam Connections has been a leading Loss Prevention resource in the
United States. Our mission is to provide unmatched service in delivering
electronic security solutions that are expertly tailored to the specific needs
of each individual client. We are dedicated to heightening the value of our
clients’ businesses as a trusted partner in protecting their people and
property.

Because we are a service provider and not a manufacturer, we are not tied to
specific products or systems. We are free to select the most appropriate
components from the entire marketplace, giving you the best solution at the best
value. This also allows us to easily adapt your security system to meet your
organization’s existing procedures, rather than forcing you to conform to a
pre-fabricated system.

Our dedication to customer service and our breadth of experience make us the
ideal choice to protect your business from loss.

7 Proven Steps to a Better Workday
Your workday can become a day filled with stress, burnout, and anxiety in just a
matter of minutes, with meetings to attend or emails to get back to. It's easy
for a day to go from great to dragging. Use these tips to try to make your day
as satisfying as possible! (How
do you spend your morning?)

How to Have a Eureka Moment
You don't have to be a super genius to have an a-ha moment at work! When you
have to come up with ideas on the spot on how to improve
things, trying to find that spark can be difficult! This
survey may just give you the insight you need to have your own eureka moment!
(Work
on something different)

Accepting criticism and feedback is probably one of the hardest
things to do, especially if it's unexpected or from an individual or group
that's not really informed well enough to offer constructive criticism. Coming
from our superiors or clients, criticism and feedback can truly be valuable and
help mold the path a person needs to take in changing or modifying behavior and
improving relationships. It all boils down to whether or not you're willing to
accept it and really hear what they're saying or not saying. It's human nature
to automatically respond defensively and rationalize what you're hearing, thus
avoiding having to own it. However, the wise person learns to listen and force
themselves not to respond other than to acknowledge that they heard it.